A man died in a rail yard at the Nucor-Yamato Steel plant. The worker was fatally injured when he got caught between two rail cars. It is unclear exactly how the accident happened. This accident is a devastating reminder of the dangers that are present in rail yards of any type, whether they are stand-alone rail yards or rail yards that are part of a steel plant, feed mill, or some other manufacturing facility where materials and goods move in and out of the facility by train.
As is the case with any workplace fatality, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the incident and try to determine how it happened. Rail yards are dangerous places, with trains and heavy loads moving about all day long. In rail yards, there is always the danger of an accident, for both novice and experienced employees alike. The worker who died at the Nucor-Yamato Steel plant was an experienced locomotive operator who had been working at the facility for almost thirty years. Fatal rail yard accidents are tragic for both the deceased employee’s family and their co-workers as well. A deceased worker’s family faces not only the loss of their loved one but the loss of their support as a family member and their income. As co-workers grieve the loss of a teammate, they often wonder whether the accident was preventable and whether any of them are at risk for a similar fate. A showing of support from the facility for both the worker’s family and their co-workers can help to heal the hurt that follows a workplace fatality.
While the recent rail yard accident at Nucor-Yamato resulted in death, other rail yard accidents cause serious injuries. While these injuries are not fatal, injured workers sometimes face lengthy recovery times and must miss work while they recover. Unfortunately, some employees are disabled in rail yard accidents and are unable to return to rail yard work. Depending on the injury or disability that a worker has, they may not be able to go back to employment in any position at their previous workplace and may either require training to do other work elsewhere or are unable to work in any capacity. For example, one young man severely injured both legs in a rail yard accident at a steel mill. Depending upon the nature of his injuries, he may be temporarily or permanently disabled, or he may be able to recover and resume work, either in his previous position or a different position. Prompt treatment and diagnosis of workplace injuries is the best way for an injured employee to ensure their best chance at physical and financial recovery.
Barrett Law PLLC: Supporting Families Affected by Mississippi Workplace Fatalities
If you got hurt in a rail yard accident at work or if you lost a family member in a workplace rail yard accident, a Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorney could help you pursue a claim for damages so that you can focus on healing from your injury or our family’s loss. To learn more, call the Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule an initial consultation.